Tony Blair's 1997 Labour landslide- Worldwide

[Undesired Walrus]

Thinking back to 1997, I remembered what a remarkable time it was when Blair first became elected, and how excited and enthusiastic people were for New Labour in the months building up. After 18 years of conservative rule, it was a mammoth change in British history.

It was back-to-back news over here, but I wondered what the news was of it abroad, in America for example. Was it front page news? Was it being followed in the months building up to the election?

 

[Brainster]

Yes, we heard about it, although I don't know if it was top of the fold news, it was certainly on the front page. The hook for the US media was that Blair was like Clinton, kind of a third way-type guy between the old (red) Labour and the Tories.

 

[Nogbad]

To be fair the first four years were not at all bad. A breath of fresh air after the previous incumbents.

A wish I could say that about what is almost certainly going to happen next year (Brown will require divine intervention to pull off a win now).

Oh well, we live in interesting times.

 

[Ove]

Ohh it was HUGE, after the Iron Lady and her wishy-washy sucessor. New young energetic man on the job, charismatic and full of charm AND labour.
But egad how soon the "lights went out". His star faded VERY quickly when he started playing lap-dog to Dubya and in the end he was a big embassesment.
A terrible waste.

 

[funk de fino]

For me the dubya thing was all he really did wrong. They have done a lot of very good things the Tories would not have touched with a barge pole.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

The hook for the US media was that Blair was like Clinton, kind of a third way-type guy between the old (red) Labour and the Tories.

Yikes. Please don't compare Blair to Clinton. Unlike Clinton, Blair was a politician of enormous accomplishment and skill. Until he was led astray by the Texan.

As others have said, what a waste.

 

[Giz]

"a politician of enormous accomplishment and skill" "led astray by the Texan"

Perhaps he was skilled and accomplished enough to see that supporting Bush was the right thing to do (even over the objections from less perspicacious members of his own party).

Isn't that likelier than the suggestion that this paragon of political virtue was hoodwinked by some rube?

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Honestly, I didn't even hear about it and knew less than zero about it. Of course, I was 9 at the time.

Years later, I very vaguely heard that Margaret T. was a real hard ass. Nothing much about Tony, though.

 

[Ove]

"a politician of enormous accomplishment and skill" "led astray by the Texan"

Perhaps he was skilled and accomplished enough to see that supporting Bush was the right thing to do (even over the objections from less perspicacious members of his own party).

Isn't that likelier than the suggestion that this paragon of political virtue was hoodwinked by some rube?

You are not serious are you? Can you honestly claim that supporting the biggest failure ever elected president in a meaningless crusade was "the right thing to do"?

 

[Undesired Walrus]

"a politician of enormous accomplishment and skill" "led astray by the Texan"

Perhaps he was skilled and accomplished enough to see that supporting Bush was the right thing to do (even over the objections from less perspicacious members of his own party).

Isn't that likelier than the suggestion that this paragon of political virtue was hoodwinked by some rube?

By all accounts, Blair is a very religous man. Somehow, Bush was the man to energise Blair's belief in a clear battle between good and evil.

 

[Giz]

By all accounts, Blair is a very religous man. Somehow, Bush was the man to energise Blair's belief in a clear battle between good and evil.

You see determined to believe that Brilliant Blair was somehow manipulated by Simple Shrub. I just disagree. I think Blair assessed the situation and came to the considered judgement (which you may disagree with) that supporting the US removal of Saddam would be a good thing for the UK/World.

 

[peteweaver]

I always found myself wary of the man, and the longer he remained in charge the less I trusted him. Never been a fan of Brown either. I think John Smith would have been a good PM though.

 

[funk de fino]

You see determined to believe that Brilliant Blair was somehow manipulated by Simple Shrub. I just disagree. I think Blair assessed the situation and came to the considered judgement (which you may disagree with) that supporting the US removal of Saddam would be a good thing for the UK/World.

It wasnt the supporting it was the manner of the supporting.

 

[Ian Osborne]

For me the dubya thing was all he really did wrong. They have done a lot of very good things the Tories would not have touched with a barge pole.

What about education? Back in the Eighties I was a student, and went on several marches opposing the introduction of student loans. 'Only a Labour government can save further education', I thought. Then along comes Blair, and not only retains loans but brings in tuition fees, making it all-but impossible for those of modest means to get a degree without winding up tens of thousands in debt. I certainly wouldn't have if I was a decade or so younger.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

The odd thing about top-up fees was that while it didn't seem like it, it was partly designed to get people from poorer backgrounds into university. There has been some sign of this happening, with people from poorer backgrounds increasing in numbers: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jul/01/poor-students-university

It's also worth remembering that graduates earn far more than graduates of 10-20 years back.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

You see determined to believe that Brilliant Blair was somehow manipulated by Simple Shrub. I just disagree. I think Blair assessed the situation and came to the considered judgement (which you may disagree with) that supporting the US removal of Saddam would be a good thing for the UK/World.

It's certainly true Blair wrote in support of removing Hussein even before Bush came into power (Even though he made the catastrophic mistake of later saying -right before the war- that he could remain in power if he gave up his WMD), but Bush clearly had some bizzare influence over Blair, turning him into this saintly crusader of good against evil. The change was very distinct.

On the general point about Blair turning his back on the Labour party of the past, It's worth the party's far-left remembering that although Blair turned against the clause-four philosophy, he achieved much of what the far-left wished to achieve under old labour by getting a huge majority out of New Labour. The minimum wage, for example (opposed by all the Conservatives and many Lib Dems), which was perhaps his biggest achievement.